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Most other years, it would have been a close race. This year, Republicans took it easily. Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC) defeated Democrat Cheri Beasley Tuesday in the election for North Carolina’s open Senate seat.
Budd entered Election Day a solid favorite, but Democrats held out hope for a surprise. Ultimately, however, the election current was too much for Beasley.
Budd was endorsed by former President Trump in the state’s contentious Republican primary but has since run a remarkably low-key campaign. After the primary, Budd notably distanced himself from Trumpian politics, but still ran a heavily conservative campaign on abortion, crime and the economy.